Yemen’s Information Minister has warned of the Houthi exploitation of the coronavirus pandemic and warned the rebels policy puts millions of Yemenis in danger.

In a statement to Saba, Muammar al-Eryani said the reports coming from Sana’a and other rebels-held region usher that a “disaster is besetting millions of people as the militia hide the facts and exploit the health issue politically” and to extort aid organizations financially.

“The reports we got from hospitals and doctors reveal that the situation is so severe in the areas of the militia’s control and refute the Houthi claim that only one infection case has occurred,” he said calling the one case announcement a “disregard for the lives of millions of people.”

He said the public need to be updated honestly on the severity and extent of infections in order for them to be able to intensify precautionary measures.

He called on the UN and the WHO “to urgently intervene to force the Houthi militia to share the figures they have and be absolutely transparent about it” to save millions of people already exhausted by the Houthi six year war.